Cellular networks require a significant amount of energy to operate properly. For example, network nodes, such as radio base stations, require energy for processing and transmitting signals to wireless terminals, as well as energy to process incoming signals from the wireless terminals.
It is desired to reduce energy consumption in general, and in particular to reduce energy consumption in network nodes.
WO 2011/034476 presents an arrangement in a radio base station for handling data traffic within a cell of the radio base station, which radio base station is comprised in a telecommunications network. The arrangement comprises a determining unit arranged to determine a maximum power, which maximum power indicates available power to radio base station. In addition, the arrangement comprises a comparing unit arranged to compare the maximum power to a threshold power value, and a handling unit arranged to handle data traffic served by the radio base station according to a shaper rule when the maximum power is below the first threshold power value. The shaper rule is defined to handle data traffic in such a way that an amount of data traffic transmitted over a time period is reduced consuming less power of the radio base station than if the data traffic is handled according to a basic rule when the maximum power is above the threshold power value.
The presented solution controls power consumption by restricting the amount of data traffic. It would be beneficial if there were to be some way to reduce power consumption in an improved and more direct way.